Pan seared scallops with lemon caper pasta is a gourmet recipe for any occasion! Light angel hair pasta is tossed with a citrus white wine sauce and tomatoes.
The holiday season is here which means more great meals enjoyed with the people you love! Are you looking for a meal that will delight any day of the week, or to share with others for a special occasion? A dish that’s always a winner with my family and friends is a comforting plate of Italian pasta, but I like to add a more gourmet twist.
Pan-seared scallops with lemon caper sauce will wow any hungry guests at your dinner table. Not to worry, it’s straightforward and effortless to recreate, plus I’ve got a special ingredient that takes the flavors to the next level!
There are two essential ingredients in this pan-seared scallops and lemon caper pasta recipe that makes it so irresistible, the pasta and wine!
I wanted to make this dish light, flavorful and bright. Barilla Angel Hair Pasta adds great tasting, high quality and wholesome, tender pasta to the dish. The thin pasta does an excellent job of absorbing and getting coated with the lemon caper sauce to infuse the flavors into each delicious forkful!
Hey, there wine lovers! I know you traditionally think of enjoying a nice glass wine to pair with your meal, but the flavors of wine can add some beautiful notes to your cooking as well. For the lemon caper sauce, I use Clos du Bois Chardonnay as my secret ingredient to make the taste pop!
If you’ve ever been wine tasting, you’ve experienced that each wine has its unique character. This Clos du Bois Chardonnay is bright and refreshing, with lots of fruit-forward notes of ripe apple, pear, and sweet lemon drop.
The French style of winemaking under the warm California sun also provides toasty oak, vanilla bean, spice, and butter notes. As you can imagine, all of these complex flavors get infused into the sauce and complements the caramelized scallops like a dream.
Whenever I want to create a special dish, scallops are on top of my list. It adds an element of elegance to the recipe, and it’s very simple to prepare.
Tips for Caramelizing and Cooking Scallops
- Dry: The trick to achieving a golden-brown crust on scallops is making sure both sides are very dry. Use a paper towel to soak up any moisture before salting and adding to the pan. Any excess moisture will cause the scallops to steam instead of sear.
- Keep it hot!: A smoking hot pan and scorching oil are going to give a dark caramelized color on the scallops. Don’t move the scallops until you are ready to flip. They will brown and release from the pan on its own. I use a stainless steel pan to get a more attractive surface.
- Time: Scallops cook very quickly, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Keep a close eye so that you get a tender, buttery texture from the scallops, not tough and rubbery.
The caramelized scallops have a nice golden brown crust and a very mild sweet flavor. The delicate seafood and light angel hair pasta are an excellent pair. If you are looking for other ways to enjoy seafood, try my scallops with roasted red pepper sauce recipe!
Now that you’ve got beautifully caramelized scallops and lemon caper pasta to bring to the table don’t forget to pour a glass of chardonnay! Not only do you have the versatility to cook with the wine, but you also get to sit back and enjoy each delicious sip with your meal.
It’s hard not to devour this entire plate of pasta! The delicate angel hair pasta tossed in the fresh, savory and tangy lemon caper white wine sauce and herbs is something you can just eat all on its own. The fresh seafood and light pasta are sure to please for any low key or more fancy occasion!
What other pasta and wine pairings have you tried? Do you cook with wine often? I would love to hear your marvelous creations in the comments section.
What are capers and how do you use them in cooking?
Those tiny olive green spheres pack a mighty flavor punch! The taste has is very salty and pungent with vinegar notes, so a small amount adds incredible layers of flavor to any dish. Capers are dried flower buds from a shrub-like bush (Capparis spinosa) that have been pickled and are still in the brine when sold. Before adding them to your recipes make sure to rinse them well since they will have residual brine. Capers are grown in different sizes, but the smallest called nonpareil can be more commonly found at stores and used most in cooking. Capers are often used in Mediterranean and European cooking, and in appetizers and main entrees. They are essential in dishes like chicken piccata and work very well with seafood, soups, salad dressing, pasta, and salads. If you need a quick boost of sweet and tangy flavor, capers are magical. (Source: The Huffington Post)
Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon Caper Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound scallops, jumbo size, about 20 pieces, 1-inch wide
- kosher salt, for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- black pepper, freshly ground, for seasoning
- ½ pound angel hair pasta
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ cup chardonnay wine
- 1 cup chicken broth, low sodium or unsalted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest from one lemon
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup baby tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
Scallops
- Dry the scallops very well with a piece of paper towel. Season both sides with salt.
- Heat a stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat until it ripples and begins to smoke.
- Add scallops to the hot pan without crowding. Cook without moving them, until the bottoms are a golden-brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Turn the scallops and caramelize the other side, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat but do not discard the pan.
- Transfer scallops to a clean plate and lightly season with freshly ground black pepper. Lightly cover to keep warm while making the pasta.
Lemon Caper Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In the meanwhile make the lemon caper sauce.
- In the same pan used to cook the scallops, turn heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of butter and garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add ½ cup white wine. Simmer, stirring as needed until the wine is reduced by half and you can no longer smell the alcohol, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, zest, and capers, turn the heat to high. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half (½ cup) about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Cook angel hair pasta in boiling water about 4 minutes until al dente, 5 minutes for more tender pasta. Drain and add to the sauce.
- Add parsley and toss to combine. Add sliced tomatoes and gently mix. Season pasta with salt and pepper as desired. Evenly divide among serving dishes.
- Top with scallops and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe Video
Equipment
- Skillet
Notes
- This recipe serves 4 smaller portions or 2 large portions.
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Chloe Bovay says
Fabulous. Thank you.. Husband, kids convinced me it was Father’s Day a few weeks ago so I made this. They loved it. So tonight for real Father’s Day Eve I made it again. Grand succès!
Elizabeth Leynes-Le says
Absolutely delicious! I just added some spinach for additional color.
Jessica Gavin says
I love that you added some greens to the scallop dish!
Michele says
I didn’t realize that the scallops I bought were previously frozen and when I got home I didn’t really have enough time to thaw and get them 100 percent dry… I totally see what you mean now to ensure thorough dryness. I look forward to trying this again! I can tell this would be a five star if I had prepared it correctly!
Sue says
I love this dish and make it once a week. Infact I am making it now 🙂
Robin says
Wonderful dinner. I had everything on hand so didn’t need to run to the store. I used bay scallops (less cooking time) and I had roasted spaghetti squash earlier in the day and used that instead of pasta. Delicious! My husband was hesitant to to try the squash but is now a fan. Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Wow! I definitely need to try this with spaghetti squash!
Beth says
Has anyone tried this substituting some of the butter with olive oil?
Jessica Gavin says
I would keep the butter when browning the scallops to create a more golden surface. You can take about 1 tablespoon of butter for olive oil in the sauce.